Evaluation of the Potential of Calcium Hydroxide Synthesized from Eggshells as a Drilling Fluid Additive

Abstract

This research work studied the suitability of Ca(OH)2 synthesized from eggshell as a drilling fluid additive. Ca(OH)2 was synthesized from calcined eggshells (CES) and uncalcined eggshells (UCES) and characterized using FTIR and EDX. Samples of one laboratory barrel of water-based mud were prepared using bentonite clay from Afuze, Edo State, Nigeria, and the synthesized Ca(OH)2 produced from CES and UCES and commercial Ca(OH)2 were added to different mud samples prepared, and its effect on the mud properties were tested for. The results obtained from the experiment conducted showed that the synthesized Ca(OH)2 gave comparable pH values as the commercial Ca(OH)2. Hence it served primarily as a pH enhancer. However, the addition of Ca(OH)2 from both sources increased the filtrate volume and mud cake thickness far beyond API standard which might create wellbore problems due to the high filtrate loss and mud cake thickness that were observed.